Dear Colleagues,
Cold plasma is a powerful physical method that generates active agents (ions, radicals and photons) originated from the partial ionization of a gas phase. There are several ways to generate these plasmas (depending on the type of discharge, the gas phase used or the design configuration). The resulting plasmas have varied properties, such as surface sterilization, air purification, wound cleaning, or the inactivation of microorganisms, among others. This last aspect makes cold plasmas an especially valuable technology in the agro-food area. The global context demands not only the production of more food year after year, but also to improve the quality and safety of this food for human consumption. Limitations in the use of agrochemicals require the development of complementary solutions to maintain health care and productivity. The technology behind the cold plasmas is eco-friendly, without the generation of polluting emissions or waste. In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the potential of cold plasmas as controllers of microorganisms in seeds, fruits, vegetables and processed foods, as well as the promotion of plant growth. However, to achieve the transfer of this technology to the agricultural-productive sector, more studies are required to achieve regulatory approval and safety consideration. This Special Issue of Plants aims to present different independent developments in cold plasmas with direct application in the field of agriculture and agro-food. The most recent findings on the effects of controlling seed pathogens, promoting germination and early plant growth, and effects on crop yield will be highlighted.

Dr. Karina Balestrasse
Dr. Leandro Prevosto
Dr. Carla Zilli
Dr. Pablo Vallecorsa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cold plasma (CP)
• non-thermal plasma (NTP)
• cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)
• clean technology
• eco-friendly technology
• non-thermal technology
• inactivating enzymes
• inactivating microorganisms
• inactivating pathogens
• fungi seed
• seed germination
• seed quality
• seed processing
• seedling growth
• emergence protection
• plant growth
• grain field
• plasma activated water (PAW)
• fruit preservation
• fruits desinfectection
• vegetal preservation
• vegetables disinfection